The Truth About Will Power

by Jonathan 2.0 Banned
22 replies
We hear that phrase used a lot, don't we? You need "will power" to lose weight and get into shape. You need "will power" to stop smoking. You need "will power" to build a successful business ...

Well I say screw thinking about "will power." You don't need it at all.

All you have to do is to keep taking positive, consistent (and smart) action. Period. (Will power or no will power.)

That's the secret to getting everything you want from Life. And, ironically, if you do that, you will be demonstrating extraordinary "will power."

...

"The World turns aside to let any man pass who knows wither he is going."—An Iron Will, Orison Swett Marden
#power #truth
  • Profile picture of the author Dain Supero
    Good point.

    Most people waste so much time "developing" will-power and such qualities before they take action.

    Truth is that action, any action, whether it leads to success or failure, is a step forward and in fact the only thing that truly builds traits such as confidence, wisdom, knowledge, will-power, etc.

    Act and all else will follow. Not the other way around.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Dain Supero View Post

      Truth is that action, any action, whether it leads to success or failure, is a step forward and in fact the only thing that truly builds traits such as confidence, wisdom, knowledge, will-power, etc.
      Exactly. : ) Well said Dain.
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      "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author SebastianAiden
    True. All you need to do is keep taking small steps one at a time. Sometimes when I am feeling really lazy, I like to break things down in to very small steps to help me achieve things. An example is the gym. Well I need to get dressed first for the gym. I congratulate myself for getting that done. Then I get in the car and congratulate myself for that and so forth. I know it may sound silly to some, but I find it to be really helpful.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      No, that's an awesome way of accomplishing your goal(s).
      : )
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    will power and motivation..both used to do something you really do not want to do ..

    there is strength of will but that is based on your determination to get what you want .

    as i sit here early morning in a new 2 bedroom house in the Philippines the wife still asleep and no interest in waking up ..(not married yet but only the legal stuff to deal with now )

    in the environment i was in prior too a week ago ..there was way to much push back and demotivating factors ..no amount of will power could have over come for long .

    we are better off admitting where we are weak and not testing ourselves ..without real desire to change .

    if you have to motivate yourself or use lots of will power or both ..you may not really want it .

    be honest with yourself ..you either want something or you would just like to have it .
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

      Will power and motivation ... both used to do something you really do not want to do ...
      If you have to motivate yourself or use lots of will power or both ... you may not really want it.

      Be honest with yourself ... you either want something or you would just like to have it
      .
      Good point.

      Not just in business though, there are things in Life that we don't want to do. That's just part of the game. But we have to do them anyway. Why? Because we want to be successful.

      The more a person doesn't want to do something, the more will power it would take and the greater the satisfaction/accomplishment.
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      • Profile picture of the author Odahh
        Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0 View Post

        Good point.

        Not just in business though, there are things in Life that we don't want to do. That's just part of the game. But we have to do them anyway. Why? Because we want to be successful.

        The more a person doesn't want to do something, the more will power it would take and the greater the satisfaction/accomplishment.
        there are things that need to be done no matter how much you want or do not want to do them ..and the person with the worst job in the world need no more motivation or will power to punch the clock every day ..than the bills he needs to pay or the need to pay for a place to live and food to eat

        the trick to life as it should be is having as many of the thing you need to do also be things you want to do .
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  • Profile picture of the author C G
    Build the habit of taking action whether you want to do it or not.

    For me, it's one of the key habits that guarantees your success.

    Cheers,

    C.G.
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  • Profile picture of the author MyLuckyYear
    What synchronicity! I have started my diet today after putting on a couple of pounds and my will power is in full force.

    Will power is connected to stress levels. We need to manage our stress levels first and foremostly because our body’s energy is used up in acting instinctively and making decisions based on short-term outcomes. Our brain loses out in the battle for our energy when high-stress is involved. So first thing is breathe and relax!

    Positive affirmations help me have more self-control.

    Sometimes I catch myself saying “I can’t” and “I don’t.” Every time we tell ourselves “I can’t”, we are creating a feedback loop that is a reminder of our limitations.

    Its like a signal to your brain that says you are forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do.

    I am also very bad with getting enough beauty sleep. They say "people who sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours a night, live the longest, are happier and most productive” Getting enough sleep means our brain works at optimum levels which in turn means we can practice more will power than push ourselves when we are tired.

    I also find meditation and self hypnosis helps to boost my will power.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Cool. Good luck with your diet MyLuckyYear.

      I'm forgetting about "will power" altogether and just getting on with what has to be done. However, if thinking about it like you are is working for you, go for it.
      : )

      The point of my post was that instead of people thinking about will power (or thinking that they need it to be successful) that they just take action anyway.

      "Screw Will Power" (or something similar) would maybe make a good book title and concept considering how many people aren't motivated enough to accomplish their goals.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    diets are kind of silly ,

    you need to change the nutrient content of what you eat within a normal calorie budget ..

    if someone yoyo diets .. they go on a diet cut the calorie intake drastically..then couple that with and increase activity like suddenly going to the gym and working out much harder than they should .. the body goes into several sever stress and will go into famine mode .. you may lose weight but many times your metabolism gets screwed up .

    and if you go back to eating normally you body will put the weight back on then add some for protection ..

    so long term if you want to gain weight ..go on diet after diet .

    if you want to get healthy then reduce the fat stored on your body change what you eat and move around more ..the best thing anyone can do is learn to shop and cook healthy meals for themselves ..using different spices rather than a ton of salt or fats from oils .

    best ways to put wait on yoyo dieting and anti depressants ,anti anxiety drugs or mood stabilizers.

    best way to be healthy eliminate as much stress as possible ..and eat according to what activities you do .

    longevity is not achieved simply by doing what people who live long lives do..because if you look at the number a lot of people who lived that way probably didn't make it .. and i missing key to it .. is the populations of centenarians a didn't get killed in ww2 .. and b most likely spent much of their life dirt poor .
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  • Profile picture of the author AuthenticSelf
    Will Power and motivation are things people go looking for, as if its something outside of them, that they need to get more of to do it. That's not how it works.

    I say re-connect with the initial inspiration you felt when you first felt the desire of "I want that". Listen to your own desires, and re-connect emotionally to honoring that desire, by going for it. What if instead of looking for motivation to get something done, you spent a few moments re-connecting with that inspiration, and building on that???
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  • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
    Be self-disciplined and understand that nobody is going to give you a hand out. You either go and get what you want or you sit back and let life give you what you don't want.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yvon Boulianne
    I find this post kind of funny (and non sense) as will power is needed to take action...

    you are able to take action as much as you have will power

    The will (you know the will to do something) is the basic of it.

    But yes, do positive action all the times and your will power will increase!!!

    Have a great one
    Yvon
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    • Profile picture of the author Dain Supero
      Originally Posted by Yvon Boulianne View Post

      I find this post kind of funny (and non sense) as will power is needed to take action...

      you are able to take action as much as you have will power

      The will (you know the will to do something) is the basic of it.

      But yes, do positive action all the times and your will power will increase!!!

      Have a great one
      Yvon
      I disagree, sir.

      Incentive (such as money), instinct (such as to survive), and desire can also drive action.

      Rationally cultivated self-discipline allows will-power (the ability to make happen) to drive one's actions instead.

      Where self-discipline is lacking or absent, so is will-power. Here, incentive, instinct, and desire prevail.
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  • Profile picture of the author AndreaBlom
    Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0 View Post

    All you have to do is to keep taking positive, consistent (and smart) action. Period. (Will power or no will power.)
    At the same time, it takes extraordinary will power to do just that. Without doubt, there will be challenges in your life. Challenges that will make you want to quit, give up or move on to the next idea. There will come a point where talking positive, being consistent and taking action becomes difficult. You have to will yourself to continue.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by AndreaBlom View Post

      At the same time, it takes extraordinary will power to do just that. Without doubt, there will be challenges in your life. Challenges that will make you want to quit, give up or move on to the next idea. There will come a point where talking positive, being consistent and taking action becomes difficult. You have to will yourself to continue.

      Agreed. : )

      However, again, the point of my post (although it wasn't 100% coherent, I was half a sleep Lol) is that instead of people thinking about will power as a concept, or thinking that they need to develop it before they take action, they just start applying that will power immediately. (By not thinking about it.)
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  • Profile picture of the author BionicMan40
    Just be optimistic! Seek opportunity! Even if you going through circumstances! Might rattle you a bit! But you have to stay focus and continue your life purpose.
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  • Profile picture of the author namktqs
    I recommend people start with small step achieve anything people want. In fact everything not happen overnight, you need to growth with things happen in your life. We can do something more when we have more knowledge and practice more and more. Small step help we keep focus, keep energy and motivate instead hope and not achieve big things.
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  • Profile picture of the author cyberzolo
    True taking small consistent steps to my goals makes me not need to have will power.
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